EXCLUSIVE: In its 30th year, the X Games is still going strong, particularly with young audiences.
X Games Salt Lake City, which was held from June 27 to 29, put up a 12% year-over-year audience increase with an average of 1.3M viewers tuning in across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.
Among 12- to 17-year-olds, viewership soared 328%. X Games Salt Lake City also saw a 74% audience increase among the 25 to 34 crowd.
X Games Salt Lake City also generated a fair amount of social chatter, up 21% in total video views to 79.2M across TikTok, Twitter, FB, Instagram, Threads, and Snap. Video on demand and YouTube viewing is up 188% to 4.4M.
While sports is one of the few surefire ways to draw eyeballs to the TV these days, many leagues have been struggling with ratings this year, making X Games a bit of an outlier in its audience growth. The NBA, NHL, NFL and Women’s Soccer League are among the major sports organizations that saw a viewership decline in its most recent season.
“The growing popularity of X Games among the youth audience is exceptional and something we’re incredibly proud to be part of,” Burke Magnus, ESPN’s President of Content, said in a statement. “Throughout our three-decade history with the X Games, the brand has consistently delivered the kind of storytelling, competition and cultural relevance that connects deeply with younger audiences, and we’re excited about the continued positive momentum.”
This year’s X Games saw more than 40,000 fans pack into the Utah State Fairpark & Event Center in Salt Lake City over the weekend. Multiple athletes made history, including 15-year-old Arisa Trew, who became the most decorated female athlete in X Games summer history, and 16-year-old Gui Khury, who now holds more X Games medals than any athlete in history at age 16.
The ratings win comes ahead of next year’s planned league model change to a team-based, seasonal league format called the X Games League (XGL).
“This was never just about chasing ratings—it was about returning to what made X Games iconic in the first place,” said Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games. “We brought back legends, we leaned into tune-in strategy, and we brought on a new production company to tell deeper stories about a new generation of athletes who are redefining what’s possible. The numbers are a clear validation that the path we’re on—back to our roots, but aimed at the future—is resonating.”
